Warp let-off mechanism for looms



M r h 29 1927.

a c J. BERNINI WARP LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed sept. 14. 1926 2 She ets-Sheet l Inventor (/6371 Zernzkc' Attorney 1927; March J. BERNiNl WARP LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR LOQMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ven tor (E/Zn Bernmz Filed Sept. 14, 1926 Attorney Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES JTOI-INIIBERNINI, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

WARP LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR; LOOMS.

Application filed September 14, 1926. Serial No. 135,335.

The present invention relates to a let-off mechanism and aims to provide certain important improven'ients which are particularly adapted to standard structure now in common use in silk mills.

The let-off mechanism almost universally now used on silk looms consists of a rope or chain coiled three or four laps about a beam head or flange, supporting a weight at one end and a counter-Weight at the other end. The Weight which is the heavier naturally drops turning the beam thereby lifting the counter or lighter weight. This natural tendency is prevented by the warp threads (or warp proper) which unwinds from the warp beam and Winds on the take-up roll. It is apparent that under these conditions the. large weight is utilized to impart apull or tension on the warp threads but due to conditions this tension is irregular. If the weights do not touch the floor, the tension would be perfect until the counter-weight reached the floor. If the counter-weight end of'the rope is fastened directly to the flange, there would also be a perfect tension on the warp until the rope is all wound around the flange-and the weight drawn up to the flange. Both. of these are obviously impractical but the latter embodies the principle of my letoffmotion Where no counter-Weight is used and the end of the rope is practically fastened to. the beam head flange and controlled by a worm gear and is of Such a structure that the warp cannot jump or skip from the rope and the Weight will not be drawn up because the fastened point of the rope will automatically be maintained at the same position. regardless of the forward counterclockwise motion of the beam head.

A very important object of the invention lies in the provision of a mechanism of this nature with a structure that is exceedingly simple, comparativel I inexpensive to manufacture, strong and diirable, eflicient and reliable in operation, easy to adjust, not likely to easily become out of order, and otherwise well adapted. to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will. be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

indentures 18 on its outer face.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an elevation of the mechanism embodying the features of my invention, a portion being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is another elevation thereof taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1 and showing portions in section,v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top-plan view,

- Fig. t'is an elevation showing the operating structure for the mechanism,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it. will be seen that the numeral 5 denotes a ring which has a handle 6 radiating outwardly therefrom. A ring gear 7 is formed with an annulus 8 projecting into the ring; 5 and onwhich the ring 5 is rockable or rotatable. The numeral 9 denotes a warp beam having the usual head structure 10 mounted thereon. In Fig. 5 I show the ring gear secured about the head by means of screws 11 while in Fig. 6 I show a spoke structure 12 secured to the ring gear at 18 and secured to the head at 14. A stud 15 projects from the ring laterally to the plane thereof and is provided with a longitudinally extending bore 16'. A pinion 17 is rotatable on the stud 15' and meshes with the ring gear 7'. This pinion 17 as is indicated to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with an annular series of A worm gear 19 is also rotatable on the stud 15 alongside of the pinion 17 and is provided with an off-center aperture 20 registrable with the indentures 18. A stem 21 is slidable in the bore 16 of the stud 15 and has a head 22 formed with an annular groove 23. A pin 24 projects from the head through the aperture 20 for engaging in one of the indentures 18 so as to lock the pinion17 andworm gear 19 together. A lever 25 is fulcrumed on ears 26 projecting laterally from the handle 6 and has a bifurcated end projecting into the groove 23. A spring 27 is disposed between the handle 6 and the lever 25 and normally urges said lever so that the pin 24 is engaged in one of the indentures 18. Obviously, the upper end of the lever 25 may be swung inwardly towards the handle to release the pin whereby the ring 5 may be ,rotatedto any desired position. 7

A worm 28 is journaled in cars 29 and 30 projecting from the ring 5 and meshes with the worm gear 19. A atchet wheel 31 is fixed on the shaft 32 of the worm 28. A lever 33 has a bifurcated end straddling the ear 30 and rotatable on the shaft 32. spring pressed pawl 34 is mounted on the lever 83 for engaging the ratchet wheel 31. A spring 35 is fired at one end to the lever 33 at its extremity and is coiled about the shaft 32 and anchored to the handle 6 for normally holding the lever 33 in and returning itto a normal position. A lug 36 projects from the ring and one end of a rope 37 is anchored thereto and then coiled one or more times about the head 10 and a weight 38 is secured to the other end of the cable for imparting a tension to the head and the warp beam.

After the mechanism just described ha been secured to the warp beam head. th releasing or unlocking worm is release or unlocked from the pinion 1? so that th ring handle 6 may be pushed to the de cc position (a little back 0" the extreme st ll:- ing point of the lay rod indicated at it in Fig. 4), then the gears are locked together, that is, upon the release of the lever 27 the pin 24: will engage in one of the indentures 18 to lock the pinion l7 and the worm gear 19. The weight 37 is then hooked on the end of the rope 37, thus applying the tension. As the loom is set in motion, the striking rod R will move back and forth with the leg, a portion thereof being denoted by the letter L. The unwinding warp as it is taken up by the take-up motion will turn the beam head 10 and let-oil mechanism until the striking rod or lay rod it strikes the lever 33 which turns the worm and causes the rotation of the worm gear thereby and the pinion which in turn causes the ring to travel about the ring gear.

this will allow the ring gear (and warp) to move ahead while the ring will remain in the same position. The faster the warp is drawn up, the longer will be the sweep of the lever 33 and the quicker the motion of the worm and pinion and the ring gear, causing the ring to move back faster thus keeping the same position. The striking rod BL is fastened to the leg L by pin and castings indicated at 40. The striking rod is guided by a suitable bracket 41. A plate 42 is fastened to the ring gear to keep the ring on the extension of the ring gear. Practi ally, the lay rod is a striking rod which may be moved by any suitable part of the loom or part attached to the loom.

For the weights there may be substituted any equivalent means such as a spring or the like.

It is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of this invention will now be clearly understood without a more weaver detailed description thereof. The present embodiments of the invention have been dis closed in detail merely by way of example, since in actual practice they attain the teatures and advantages enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above de iption. It is changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

l. A mechanism of the class described, including, in combination, a gear adapted to be secured to warp beam, an annulus on the gear, a warp beam head associated with the ring, tensicning means associated with U the head, a ring about the annulus, a stud projected from the ring, a pinion meshing with the gear and rotatable with the stud, a worm gear rotatable on the stud, a worm rotatably mounted on the ring and mesh' with the worm gear, a lever pivoted to the ring, a pawl and ratchet mechanism between the lever and the worm, sprii means associated with the lever for holding it normally in a predetermined position. said stud having a bore, a stem slidable in the bore, a head on the stem and having an. annular groove, said worm gear having an opening, said pinion having an indcnture, a pin extension on the head of the stem projecting through the aperture and cngageable in the indenture, a second lever pivoted on the ring and projecting into the annular groove and a spring associated with the second lever so that said second lever normally urges the stem and the head in such a position that the stem extends into the indenture whereby the pinion and Worm gear are locked together.

2. it. mechanism of the class described including in combination, a gear adapted to be secured to a warp beam, tensioning means associated with the gear, an annulus on the gear, a ring about the annulus, a stud projecting from the ring, a pinion meshing with the gear and rotatable on the stud, a worm gear rotatable on the stud, a worm rotatably mounted on the ring and meshing with the worm gear, a lever pivoted to the ring, a pawl and ratchet mechanism between the lever and the worm, spring means associated with the lever for holding it normally in a predetermined position, said stud having a bore, a stem slidable in the bore, a head on the stem and having an annular groove, said worm gear having an opening, said pinion having an indenture, a pin extension on the head projecting through the aperture and engageable in the indenture, a second lever pivoted on the ring and projecting into the arcnt that i annular groove, and a spring associated with the second lever so that said second lever normally urges the stem and the head in such a position that the pin extends into the indenture whereby the pinion and worm gear are locked together.

3. A mechanism of the class described including, in comblnation, a gear adapted to be secured to the warp beam, tensioning means associated with the gear, an annulus on the gear, a ring about the annulus, a stud projecting from the ring, a pinion meshing with the gear and rotatable on the stud, a worm gear rotatable on the stud, a worm rotatably mounted on the ring and meshing with the worm gear, a lever pivoted to the ring, a pawl and ratchet mechanism between the lever and the worm, spring means associated with the lever for holding it normally in predetermined position, said stud having a bore, a stem slid-able in the bore, said worm gear having an opening, said pinion having an indenture, a pin extension on the stem projecting through the aperture and engageable in the indenture, and means for moving the stem to disengage the pin from the indenture to release the pinion from the worm gear.

4. A mechanism of the class described, including in combination, a gear adapted to be secured to the warp beam, means associated with the gear for tensioning the same in one direction, an annulus on the gear, a ring about the annulus, a stud projecting from the ring, a pinion meshing with the gear and rotatable on the stud, a worm gear rotatable on the stud, a worm rotatably mounted on the ring and meshing with the worm gear, a lever pivoted to the ring, a pawl and ratchet mechanism between the lever and the worm, spring means associated with the lever for holding it normally in a predetermined position, and releasable means for locking the pinion and worm gear together.

5. A mechanism of the class described, including, in combination, a gear adapted to be secured to a warp beam, tens'ioning means associated with said gear for urging it in one direction, an annulus on the gear, aring about the annulus, a stud projecting from the ring, a pinion meshing with the gear, a lever pivoted on the ring, means for rotating the pinion by oscillations of the lever and spring means associated with the lever for holding it in a predetermined position.

6. A mechanism of the class described including, in combination, a gear adapted to be secured to a warp beam, tensioning means associated with said gear for urging it in one direction, an annulus on the gear, a ring about the annulus, a stud projecting from the ring, a pinion meshing with the gear, a lever pivoted on the ring, means for rotating the pinion by oscillations of the lever and spring means associated with the lever for holding it in a predetermined position, a striker bar operable by moving part of a loom for engaging said lever to rock it in one direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN BERNINI. 

